SUNRISE, Fla. -- Alexei Kovalev took advantage of the balmy Florida weather to have a golf outing Friday with Mario Lemieux. But not once, he insisted yesterday, did the subject of the Penguins' attempt to trade him come up.
"No, that's not something I would talk to him about," Kovalev said. "That's not my place. My job is to play hockey. I've never talked with him or anyone in the organization about it. I'm not the kind of person to get involved in that kind of conversation."
He would end up getting plenty of that kind of conversation anyway, as he was besieged with trade questions in the All-Star Game's media session yesterday morning. By the count of Keith Wehner, a member of the Penguins' media relations staff, Kovalev fielded no fewer than 40 on the matter in the hour and five minutes he stood and smiled while making sure everyone had answers.
"Yeah, and all the questions were the same," Kovalev said in a quieter moment later. "Trade, trade, trade."
Among his responses ...
On the chance that he will be dealt soon: "My feeling is that, for the next month, I don't think anything is going to happen. Maybe closer to the deadline, it might happen."
The NHL trading deadline is March 11.
On where he would like to be playing next season: "Pittsburgh."
On how that could happen: "They might have financial problems, but maybe they'll build a new arena and get some money. Who knows? I hope they'll find a way to keep me."
On what kind of speculation he is hearing: "My dad keeps calling me and saying, 'Where are you getting traded?' I tell him, 'Dad, I'll let you know when I get traded.' I think I've already been traded to 10 or 12 different teams, listening to my dad."
On the most bothersome aspect of the trade talk: "I worry that it affects my teammates. I want them to be able to play without thinking about it. I know they're behind me, and I'm sure a lot of them want to see me stay in Pittsburgh. They're my team right now, and they're what I worry about."
On his plans for the week: "We play Vancouver on Tuesday, and Mario's coming back. It's a big game for us."
Kovalev managed to squeeze in that he also is delighted to participate in his second All-Star Game. That he was voted to start by the fans for the first time, he said, has made it even better. His linemates were to have been Lemieux and the Washington Capitals' Jaromir Jagr, but Lemieux will miss the game while recovering from a groin injury.
"It would be better, of course, if Mario was playing," Kovalev said. "But getting to play with Yags again is great, too. I'm looking forward to the whole thing. I'm hoping to do well."
Well enough that he made a bold prediction for the game's MVP.
"Me," he said, his face straight. "Why not? I always try to shoot high in whatever I do. I can do it."
Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1938.
Kovalev doesn't anticipate a trade anytime soon 
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